The following description of the background of the present technology is provided simply as an aid in understanding the present technology and is not admitted to describe or constitute prior art to the present technology.
Bacterial infections may complicate a patient's existing medical condition, and in some cases, may lead to death. Patients suffering from various bacterial infections often present with similar symptoms, thus making it difficult to accurately identify and characterize the bacterial species or strain responsible for the infection. Accurate identification of the bacteria through conventional lab tests can be challenging and may require incubation periods of up to several days. Additionally, some bacterial strains are not amenable to culturing and in vitro analysis in light of their fastidious nature. In other situations, the observable behavior of some bacterial strains is not readily distinguishable from others. Moreover, individual strains of a particular bacterial species may exhibit resistance to otherwise effective antibiotics.
Early and accurate identification of the bacterial strain(s) responsible for a patient's illness and determining its susceptibility to various antibiotics is an important aspect of the treatment selection decision process.